1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to a portable phone with a changeable housing, and more particularly to a method of assembling the portable phone with a changeable housing by using a battery pack as the control mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
The portable phone has become a widely accepted and necessary tool of wireless communication for the modern people. Most portable phones are light and small enough to be portable, while providing various functions, but the consumers demand more of from the portable phone. For example, the distinguishing appearance of the cellular phone has become one of the important factors of purchase for the customers. Customers desire a distinguishing appearance (such as contour, texture or color) to meet their personal taste and preference. Therefore, many manufacturers provide a variety of stylish and colored looks of the portable phones. Additionally, the housings mounted on the phones could be changed. In the commercial market, changeable housings with different colors are provided for some models of cellular phones. Some housing made by particular textures or coated by special paints present the dramatic effect, i.e. a change of color with a different light or viewing angle. In the age of personalization, the market demand of portable phones with changeable housings is increasing.
There are many ways to change the phone housings. Some models of portable phones have partially changeable interface; for example, the front housing, or faceplate, mounted on the front housing is changeable. Some other portable phone models have changeable front and rear housings. However, the conventional methods of changing the housings require an external force to disassemble the housings. This would be harmful to the underlying printed circuit board pathways or/and operation system. Furthermore, after changing the appearance several times, the inappropriate action of external force could deform the hardware structure such as the mounting pegs, extending ribs, peripheral flange of the housing and the like. Consequently, the portable phone with deformed hardware cannot be firmly assembled. Therefore, after a number of housing changes, conventionally produced portable phones do not permit the user to alter the appearance of the phones optionally. For some models, the manufacturers suggest that the user should bring the portable phone back to the distributors and the appearance change is then performed by a technician. It is very inconvenient for the user to do the change casually.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,768,370 to Maatta et al (Nokia Mobile Phones, Ltd.) discloses a display system for providing a portable phone with a variety of distinctive appearances. The user has the ability to “mix and match” the cover-components and to obtain whatever color combination is pleasing to him or her at the moment. However a working tool, such as screwdriver or coin, is still needed to pry the cover-components off the portable phone, and thus easily causes the scrapes on the cover-components. The blemished cover mars the appearance of the portable phones.
Additionally, some commercially available models of portable phones further have a removing mechanism, which is generally equipped on the exterior surface of the portable phones, to unlock the front and rear housings. However, the design of the exposed removing mechanism is an issue of the appearance defect.